Dialysis Patients and Temperatures

This does not substitute medical advice from your doctor. If you feel like something is wrong or off, contact them. They are more knowledgeable, well some of them anyway.

If you are a dialysis patient, you most likely know that your temperature runs a little lower than normal people. For example, grandma’s temp. normally runs about 96.5-97.0 degrees Fahrenheit. If your temperature runs 2 degrees above what it normally does, then that’s considered a fever for dialysis patients. Which in turn could indicate a cold, infection any many other things.

Most people ignore taking their temperature. But I recommend taking it several days to weeks daily, so you know what your “normal” temperature is.

If grandmas reaches 99.2 degrees, we automatically give her something to prevent it going higher and we call the treatment center HHD (Home hemodialysis) nurse, and follow her instructions. If there is redness or the fistula/ graft feels warm to the touch that could indicate an infection in the fistula/graft. I fully recommend seeing your doctor at that point.